Forever
by oooSilverWolfooo
Summary: I let myself go, feeling my heart slow and vision go dark, and hear the air leave my lungs in one last breath... My life flashes before my eyes in a second, speeding through so fast I can't distinguish one shape from another, before cold washes over me and I burst out of the water, gasping for breath and looking around to see if anyone saw. [Bellice]
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey, so here is my first posted story for twilight and I hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer: this story is loosely based off the show Forever so I don't own any of the ideas I might have added. I do not own the Twilight cast, only my own words and how I decided to write, or type, them down.**

 **Warning now, this story is Femslash so no hate or flames on that. I you didn't read the warning and you are offended, that is your own fault so dodn't take it out on me. If you did read the warning and are still offended, Boo hoo, keep it to yourself.**

Forever

Prologue

I breathe in deeply, taking in the thick fumes of smog that is a constant in New York, but my lungs had grown used to it in my three years residents.

The city sites, crowded places, and violence that is a near constant is almost comforting because I had come to love this new place that I had settled in, and it will almost be a shame when we have to leave.

I look up at Charlie, my son that can now pass as my father, and a pang goes through me as I once again realize that the world moves on around me, and he is part of that world, not mine.

Even when he grows old and dies, I will be the same, alone, dying and being reborn over and over. And I will be alone again.

If I could just figure out how to die!

"What are you thinking right now?" Charlie asks.

I shrug and stare up at where the stars would be if it weren't for all the pollution.

"Did you know that a hundred years ago, I could see the stars right here?"

He cracks a smile and it looks like he's going to say something when a siren roars past, screeching its urgency and drawing everyone's attention to a few blocks down.

Smoke, not the normal polluted kind, rises thickly in the air and upon sucking in another breath, I can taste the fire on my tongue.

I dash forward, chasing after the retreating fire truck and ignoring my companion calling me back.

I reach the building, taking in the rushing uniforms, blue and yellow, holding the crowd of onlookers back and rushing towards the orange glowing building that has flames flicking hotly through the windows.

They seem to be struggling with a water hydrant and others look reluctant to go into the building when a beam falls in the doorway.

My eyes are drawn to a shrieking woman as she struggles against the hold of an officer.

"Please- PLEASE! My baby daughter is still IN there! Please, someone, SAVE HER!"

I turn back to the hot flames and watch as one of the firemen curse as he cant get the hose attached to the hydrant, then move to the men hovering in front of the collapsed door, and then dash forward.

A police officer calls out as I race past him and many men reach out to pull me back, but I dodge around them and plunge into the roaring flames.

Sweat immediately breaks out along my neck at the intense heat and I choke on the thick, black, smoke. It's so dense that my squinting and watering eyes can't see more than a foot ahead of me.

"Hello?!" I call before coughing roughly. "Is anyone here?!"

I continue forward, ducking under a collapsed beam and avoiding touching the melting walls.

Faintly, very faintly, I can hear a crying and coughing sound.

I charge deeper into the building, navigating through burning debris and rooms until I enter one where I see a crumpled, child's form trapped behind part of a collapsed ceiling and a heavy smoldering desk.

I pull at the burning confines, hissing and trying to ignore as the heat blisters my palms until they bleed, until I'm able to reach the child.

She can't be more than six years old.

She clutches onto my shirt as I pull her to me and turn to the door, hacking and wheezing as my throat burns painfully and razors feel like they're driven into my lungs with every inhale.

Finally, I see the crumpled doorway.

"Help, someone please help!" A man's voice begs deep in the building and my heart jerks to my throat.

A fireman rushes forward as I stumble out of the building, and I hand the little girl easily over, but before anyone can insist that I get some medical attention, I turn and dash back into the building where I can still faintly hear the man calling for help.

"Where are you?!" I cough, my streaming eyes spotting around the corners.

I find him, crushed under a burning beam.

The heat is so intense that my whole top is soaked in sweat and my lips crack dryly.

I tug hard at the beam, once again ignoring the blistering in my hands and pain stabbing my chest, but release it when he screams in pain.

"It's going to be okay," I tell the man, going into more hacking coughs. "You're going to get out of here."

I can see the fear in his eyes, the soot and sweat covering him and me like a second and third skin.

I give another heave, ignoring his screaming pain and the burn in my muscles that might mean I caught fire for all I know.

He tugs his legs free and I let it drop, immediately collapsing to the ground.

"Hey- hey, Miss! Wake up, we have to get out of here!"

I'm dying. I know that I'm dying, I've inhaled too much smoke, and I sigh in relief as a bang alerts me to the fact that the firemen have finally entered the building.

I let myself go, feeling my heart slow and vision go dark, and hear the air leave my lungs in one last breath...

My life flashes before my eyes in a second, speeding through so fast I can't distinguish one shape from another, before cold washes over me and I burst out of the water, gasping for breath and looking around to see if anyone saw.

I sigh, swimming towards the shore with lady liberty standing tall and green behind me.

I smile awkwardly at the people staring at me as I walk, dripping along the walkway, naked except for the chain dangling from my neck.

I raise my hands in easy surrender as two cops start walking towards me with crossed arms.

...

"Come on, Ma, this will be fun," Charlie insists as we pull up into a small two-story house. "I already got a job position at the station."

Rain splatters the windshield of the new police cruiser and continues to make lake-sized puddles in the rocky ground.

"Small towns have a long memory, Charlie. What if I die in front of everyone and they see me disappear?"

He rolls his eyes and climbs out of the car to collect our things.

The few suitcases that we brought are unpacked quickly and I'm left staring at the dusty cupboards.

"I'll have to go to the store tomorrow and start looking for a job too."

"Actually, I enrolled you in school," Charlie says casually shifting through a pack to pull out a few protein bars.

" _What?_ " I ask, turning a glare on him.

He meets my eyes levelly.

"You are now seventeen, I am your father, and you are going into the eleventh grade at Forks High school."

I groan and snatch the bar that he offers me. "You know I hate starting in high school, I'm physically nineteen, why can't I just get a job?"

"The younger you start, the longer we can stay. So get teenager-y and go to school."

"I hate that I raised you to be stubborn like me," I mumble and he smiles victoriously.

My fingers automatically find the chain on my neck to finger the wedding bands.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, so I got a few positive reviews and I'm hopeful. Thanks for reading and leave your thoughts on your way out. Let me know if it's good, bad, better, worse, you're reviews make me happy end give me encouragement.**

Forever

Chapter 1

I trudge, depressed, through the wet lot to the scattered buildings, ignoring the obvious stares as I study my schedule and map.

I probably made the staring worse by buying a motorcycle, which I got just to spite Charlie, but I can't find it in me to care.

We only have to be here for a few years before we can move on.

I make it to my first class with little incident other than an over zealous boy who offered to show me around.

When I get there, I lay my head down on the table and ignore everything until the bell rings where I go to my next class and repeat.

This happens all the way until the time for lunch arrives, the highlight that will be my day, and start towards the cafeteria.

A brown haired mousy girl sidles up to me, latching onto my arm like we're old friends.

"Isabella! Why don't you sit with us at lunch?"

"Sure," I reply, slightly annoyed that she still hasn't let go of my arm, and follow her to the food line where I collect the most edible looking item.

But when I turn around, I freeze.

Five beautiful people catch my eye and my breath hitches at their pale complexion and stony positions.

Vampires.

Imagine my surprise to find out that vampires exist when one decided to feed on me about fifty years ago.

I rated it a four in painful death. Having your blood sucked out of you just feels odd.

But that one had red eyes, not gold.

The only time I've ever seen those was... My eyes land on the smallest, petit, inky black spiky haired girl with soft features like a child.

A girl I never thought I would ever see again, especially with the same youthful face of over sixty years ago.

"Mary Alice?" I breathe, eyes growing wide in horrified understanding.

Her head jerks up and her unnerving golden eyes meet mine. They turn confused as they stare into mine, but I look away quickly, not wanting to see.

Her eyes used to be the most beautiful green; they almost glowed in the dark.

Now she's a vampire- a killer. But- why are her eyes gold instead of red?

"Those are the Cullens," Jessica says, seeming to have caught my stare that couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds.

"Dr. and Mrs. Cullen adopted them all a few years ago. They're all beautiful, but they're freaks."

I bristle at the word, having heard it directed at me and my dear friend Mary Alice during our stay in that asylum. That might have been the worst time in my never ending life, and that sweet, green-eyed girl got me through it.

For a moment, I forget that's she's a killer, a vampire, and scowl at the girl next to me.

"I find that the ones calling others names behind their backs are the real freaks."

Her jaw drops and every head at the vampire table turn to us, and I know that they can hear me.

"I think I'll go sit with the freaks," I snark in a way that I would never dream of doing a hundred or even fifty years ago.

The entire cafeteria watches shocked as I stride up to the vampires without an ounce of fear. The vampires stiffen as I draw closer and disbelief is incredibly obvious as I reach out for Mary and tip her head back to cup her cheek.

It's icy cold, just like I remember that's vampire's hands to be.

"Oh, Alice, what did that Doctor do to you?"

Dark lashes frame her wide, surprised eyes, and the vampires tense up even more looking like they're ready to spring at me.

All except Mary Alice who grabs my hand as eyes become pleading. "Do you know me?"

I stiffen, just realizing the dangers that I so carelessly started treading on. I glance at the others, all with hard and baffled expressions.

I slip into an empty chair, fiddling with the two wedding bands strung around my neck. All the golden eyes flick to them for just a second.

"My... Grandmother knew you. She said you were her best friend. You look just like her, as much as I look like my grandmother did, I have a picture."

Mary's wide eyes start to shine with something unreadable.

"How did we meet?" She asks, confirming my suspicions that she doesn't remember.

"In an insane asylum." She flinches. "She said that when you dreamed, you saw things- things that haven't happened yet. My grandmother wanted, more than anything, to die. Your visions scared your parents so they put you there, and my grandmother was believed to be a danger to herself. You were both in there for three years."

"What happened?" She begs.

"There was a doctor with yellow eyes," I tap her temple, "and he fell in love with you. He said he was taking you away so you both started to plan my grandmother's escape. She said that she never found out what happened to you and a few years later, she found out about vampires."

The bronze haired boy beside me sucks in a sharp breath.

"I don't think she ever made the connection that the doctor with yellow eyes was one, the vampire she met had red ones. But you are clearly a vampire."

"And what's to make you think that we don't kill you right now?" The blond hisses at me.

A small rumble comes from my old friend as she glares at her alleged sister.

She turns back to me with pleading eyes.

"What was my name?"

"Mary Alice Brandon. She gave you the nickname Alice." She sucks in a sharp breath.

The bell to signal the end of lunch rings but cold hands clutch my arm as I move to stand up.

"Please. Come over to my house after school. I don't remember anything."

"If you tell me why your eyes are gold instead of red." I say.

"Our family drinks animal blood, not human," the curly haired blond boy says stiffly.

"Unless petty little humans know too much," the blond snarls, a ferocious glare aimed right at me.

She seems utterly surprised when I laugh.

"Kill me if you want, go ahead and get creative. Things might get interesting."

"No one will do any such thing!" Mary Alice's snarl is almost scary to me.

"She's insane." The largest boys gapes before it spreads into a wide grin. "Cool."

"Ah, but insanity is just another way of seeing things."

I give a small wave and slip into the diminishing crowd to make my way to my next class.

Again, I'm terribly bored until I get on my bike after receiving an address from an eager Alice and promising that I'll be over in an hour.

By the time I get home with bags of groceries weighing down either arm, Charlie is already there, waiting.

"So how was school?" He asks humorously.

"There are five vampires that attend there, but other than that, it's quite boring."

He sputters. "Vampires? Do we need to leave?"

I shake my head and start shoving things in open crevices and cabinets.

"Apparently, they're animal drinkers. And... Alice is one of them."

His eyes pop. "You mean Mary Alice? The crazy girl that was your friend from the insane asylum?"

"Yeah," I say softly. "Guess I know what happened to her... Anyway, I'm heading over there now to explain some stuff, but I'm not telling my secret so don't start blabbing about it if they're around."

He rolls his eyes as I go over to one of my old trunks that is just over two hundred years old. It's in excellent shape if I do say so myself.

I grab what I need before racing back out the door to my bike.

It's time for me to walk into a house full of blood sucking vampires.

Joy.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so I, ah, borrowed a little part from the show Forever in this chapter, but I just found it too amusing not to use, especially for Bella who everyone thinks is just a teenager. Thank you so much for all the reviews, they made me so so so happy that I squealed. I hope you enjoy!**

Forever

Chapter 2

I fiddled with the scarf that I have constantly covering my neck, then move lower to play with my rings as I climb the steps to the large white house.

It was actually quite difficult to find; I must have driven past the hidden entrance five times before I finally found it.

The door swings open before I reach it, and a pixie reaches out, dragging me inside.

She hugs my arm to her chest as she leads me deeper into the house, but I don't think much about it because it is something common females did back then. Alice, I remember, especially liked the human contact when either of us got back from the dark isolation cell.

We come to a family room type place and I see another two beautiful people that I guess to be Dr. and Mrs. Cullen.

Mrs. Cullen has kind eyes as she strides up slowly as if not to scare me. I take her hand, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'm Esme," she introduces, "it's so good to know you."

The curious looking man offers his hand next. "Hello Bella, I'm Carlisle. I hope you would be so kind as to answer some of our questions."

"Of course," I answer smoothly.

Alice bounces slightly in impatience and tugs me to one of the large couches. Everyone else in the family hovers around the room or rests on the edges of the couch.

The first thing I do is hand over the picture that I took. Three years may have been so short in my many lifetimes, but she was a good friend to me that I never wanted to forget.

"You and m...my grandmother. She cared about you deeply."

Mary's wide eyes take in the photo of the her as a human, and me that she thinks is my grandmother. Our arms are wrapped around each other with one of the few rare smiles that we shared in that dark torturous prison.

"You both promised that when you got out, if you never saw each other again, you would always remember the other."

My old friend looks like she wants to cry as she stares down at the picture with such longing that my own heart aches.

"But I forgot," her beautiful voice rasps.

I'm silent. "What name do you go by?" I ask and she looks up in confusion.

Esme is the one to answer, looking as if she is in as much pain as her adopted daughter. "Alice," she murmurs to me.

I nod in confirmation. "Then you didn't forget, Mary. You may not remember, but you didn't forget. You use the name that she gave you."

Alice's hand doesn't leave mine.

"You said that she wanted to die- why?"

My hand goes to my necklace again, auburn hair and blue eyes flashing fresh in my mind.

"She lost someone that she said was her entire life. She never got over Amanda, but you helped her to deal with her loss. I think by the way she talked though, that given time, she would have fallen in love with you. Maybe she even started too."

"She was gay?" The largest boy, Emmet I had learned, asks.

I shrug. "I wouldn't say so. She only loved one."

"That's so sweet," she whispers. "Are those theirs'?" she asks, pointing at my necklace and then to the one in the picture.

I nod in confirmation.

She runs her fingers over my face that she thinks is my grandmother.

"You look just like her," she mumbles. I force myself to shrug.

Maybe I should tell her? But no, they will leave eventually, and take my secret with them, maybe tell others. I don't want a repeat of what happened the last time a vampire found out that I could never die.

I suppress a shudder.

"Where was all this?" Mary asks again after some time.

"Biloxi, Mississippi."

"What was her name? You grandmother?"

"Isabella. You gave her the name Bella in return for Alice." I could tell her that- it's quite common to have the same name as a grandparent.

"So!" I say cheerfully after a while of no more questions. "You decide whether or not to kill me yet? Because I have a few suggestions I would like to try out."

Esme and Carlisle look horrified, Emmet laughs, Rosalie's glower is less intense and I swear she almost smiles, Edward blinks, and Alice snarls ferociously.

"No one is going to touch you!" She hisses, and I pat her hand soothingly. Maybe I shouldn't bring up dying again? Hmm...

"Relax pixie sticks, I was joking. Mostly."

She glares at me, lip just poking out in an unconscious pout. It's actually really adorable. Like an angry kitten.

I better not voice that thought like last time, she nearly bit my head off and now she's a vampire that actually _can_ bite my head off.

Glancing at the time, I stand.

"I better go; Charlie is a hopeless cook and I really don't want him burning my new house down."

"Wait, don't you want to know anything about vampires?"

"Nah, I'm good." I say. "The less you tell me, the less you'll get in trouble with the Volturi if you ever meet."

Every single person in the room stiffens.

"Bye, I'll see you at lunch tomorrow," I say starting to walk to the door. "You can keep that picture, Alice."

...

"Hey Charlie," I greet, walking right into the sterilized smelling room, my eyes immediately locking on the grisly corps laying on a mettle slab.

"Detective Swan, what is your daughter doing down here, this is no place for a teenager," a mortician says, hastily moving to block the body from my studying eyes.

"Bella what are you doing here?" Both Carlisle and my son ask at the same time. Charlie looks less fazed, knowing that I've been both a doctor and mortician several times before and have seen far worse.

I ignore them both, rounding the annoying medical examiner to get a better look at the body that has an axe of all things lodged in the front of his skull.

"What and unfortunate accident." I sigh, running my eyes up and down his not yet dissected body.

"Accident?! You've got to be kidding me!" The mortician says, waving his hands at the axe lodged in his head.

Carlisle looks curiously at me, an undistinguishable look in his eyes.

"What makes you say that this was an accident, Bella?" He questions patiently.

I reach for blue gloves and pull them on eagerly. School is so boring that I think I might die. I would probably rate it a nine on the painful death scale.

"Well, if I remember correctly, there was a big game on last night, correct? Well there was also a power outage. Toxicology reports should show that this man was drunk and he probably thought the power outage had to do with the satellite dish so he got a ladder and climbed up onto the roof."

I move down the body and point at the stains on his knees.

"Rubber commonly found on roof shingles. He climbed up the latter," I point at the scraped mud on the bottom of his shoes in the line of ladder rungs, "carrying the axe in his teeth," I move up the body, opening his mouth. I easily find what I'm looking for as I pluck some wood chips from his teeth and place it in an evidence baggy for forensics to confirm. I hand it off to the gaping medical examiner.

"But he slipped and fell off the roof, which is how he go the blow to the back of his head," I say moving to the head of the table to show the injury.

"Then, of course, the axe slid off the roof, spiraled, then _shooooakp_ : unfortunate accident."

"Of course." Carlisle says, eyes shining in amusement and something else that I can't pick out.

"Alright then, thanks Bella. You just saved me from a whole lot of searching." Charlie says easily, giving me a smile.

The mortician scurries around, checking my conclusions before grudgingly agreeing that it's an accident. I don't think he likes being shown up by a supposed seventeen year-old.

"So what are you doing here Bella?" Charlie asks as we walk out of the room that holds the grumbling examiner.

"I called the station to let you know that Alice is forcing me on a weekend shopping trip, but they told me you were here so I came to tell you in person."

He chuckles. "You've been hanging out with the Cullens for two weeks, don't you think you should make more friends?"

"The people in this town just bug me," I tell him cheerfully and he rolls his eyes.

"Do whatever you want, I can take care of myself for a few days."

"Thanks _daddy_ ," I wave, also saying goodbye to Carlisle who followed us out.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! So, I'm sick right now, laying in bed and missing an eight-year-old's, sorry nine now, birthday party (boo) and had to get someone to cover for me at work teaching two and five-year-olds gymnastics (not so boo). On the bright side, I really needed those eleven hours of sleep.**

 **In response to reviews, I am so sorry. Stupid me doesn't even think that people won't just automatically know what I'm picturing for my stories, or won't just know what I know if I don't put it down.**

 **So: Charlie is not actually her kid, he's adopted. Also, as to how she is reborn, yes, it is poof she's gone. Her body disappears and she reemerges from the closest body of water. She doesn't start off at a younger age, she doesn't age at all, and if she wants to stay in an area for a longer amount of time, she can use makeup to make her look older.**

 **So, I hope that answered some of your questions and I will try really hard to remember that you won't know what I picture in my head unless you read it from what I write. Thanks for reading and please write a review on any thoughts you might have.**

Forever

Chapter 3

"Bella, what are you doing?" Charlie asks and I look up from my homemade contraption. I finish tying the knot and grin.

"Oh, good, you can help me out!"

I climb onto the guillotine, hanging my head over the edge. "Release the rope, will you? I've never actually been beheaded before, and I'm quite curious on how it feels. Is there any pain at all? Or is it like a bullet and there is just a sharp pinch?"

He studies me. "Do you really want to die that bad, mom?"

"I want the option to die eventually." I say, sitting up.

"What happens if one of your 'experiments' actually end up killing you?" He asks and I just shrug.

"So far, all I managed to accomplish is that, sometimes, I take a few seconds longer to come back."

He walks away back up the steps from the basement shaking his head.

"Get to school; death is no excuse of being late!"

I groan and follow him up the steps, locking my personal laboratory as I enter the entrance hall.

"I liked New York, we should go back in a few years. I want my _job_ back." I sigh.

He just waves distractedly.

I groan at seeing the ice frosting the ground and I dejectedly make my way to my bike. I'll have to be careful going to school, because motorcycle accident deaths are very painful and I already got those unintended results.

I sigh getting off my bike upon arriving at school. I haven't listened to a single thing a teacher has said, I don't even know their names, and I haven't gotten a single answer wrong in any of my classes.

I turn my head in the direction of the silver Volvo as the five vampires clamber out.

Mary Alice, immediately seeing me, waves enthusiastically and starts walking over along with the rest of her family.

Rosalie has started warming up to me, probably because I make her sister so happy, and Emmet is just thrilled to have someone to play video games with, though he had to teach me how in all of them. I'm quite horrible and seem to have a grudge against the television.

I can't really get a read on Edward though, he's very quiet, and Jasper seems okay around me. He was quite surprised when I beat him at a game of chess and he often steals me whenever he can for a rematch.

Mary's happy topaz eyes turn horrified a second before the screech of tires on asphalt assaults my ears.

I cringe, turning in dread to face the skidding oncoming vehicle.

Does it really have to be in front of the whole parking lot?

I huff in annoyance, already knowing that I wouldn't have time to get out of the way.

But then something hard and solid slams into my side, tackling me to the ground where my head cracks against it. A small, cold body presses into me as a teeth chattering crunch sets my hair on end.

The screaming starts.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay?" Mary asks worriedly, sitting up and fluttering her hands around my face.

I groan, sitting up painfully with a throbbing skull.

"I'm fine," I tell her, gently cupping her cheek to calm her down. My heart pounds as I look into her black eyes, though not from fear of death or her. "Thanks by the way; it would have been a gruesome death."

"Yes, it would have," she confirms, a look in her eye telling me that she had seen it happen.

"I'm _fine_ , Mary. Nothing happened."

She nods, holding my hand to her face as she still continues to look me over in worry.

Eventually, an ambulance arrives, and after nearly stabbing a doctor with his own syringe, they let me just ride in the back, _not_ on a gurney.

Before we can leave, Charlie pulls up with worry.

"I'm fine Charlie," I tell him as he gets close, flicking a glance at my old and new best friend. "No one died." Including me, is the silent message.

"Good, that's good."

"I'll be home to make dinner, my head is just tender is all. Go back to work."

"Right," he says, turning away. "I'm glad no one was seriously hurt."

Alice looks at me curiously as the ambulance doors close and I hurry to explain so it doesn't seem like he's a bad 'father'.

"He knows better than to argue with me, and he trusts my judgment. I've had enough injuries to know what's what."

She nods. "You do strike me as someone who would get into a lot of accidents."

I grin at how true the statement is.

I once died three times in twenty-four hours, and only one of them was on purpose.

I soon find myself, bored, and sitting in a hospital room with the driver of the vehicle apologizing over and over. Tyler, I think his name is.

After a while, I ignore him, turning to talk with Mary about nothing in particular.

Suddenly, in walks the good doctor himself.

"Ah," I clap, leaping to my feet. "Carlisle, I've been missing you so I decided to drop by for a little visit."

He smiles a little in humor. "Yes, well, you know that you're more than welcome to visit whenever you please. Let's not make a habit of you visiting this way, shall we."

"Of course," I reply smoothly. "Now if you could just sign that pesky little slip of yours, I would be free to go."

He hands over a piece of paper, already singed.

"There is, as you said, no serious damage. You are free to go, Bella."

"Excellent, shall we leave, Alice? You are taking me home, no?"

She strides up, taking my arm and leads me easily to the front entrance, past half the school in the waiting room, and out to a yellow porch that wasn't there when we first arrived.

"Let's go out." Mary says suddenly as we pull out of the hospital parking lot.

"Okay," I shrug. "What do you want to do?"

She seems almost nervous. "Movie and dinner in Port Angelus?"

"Sure, but we'll have to stop by my house to pick up money."

"I'm paying," she says firmly, and I pause. Is this a date? Is that what she's implying this is, or is she just being nice?

"Fine, but the next one is on me." I say, watching as she flashes me a blinding smile.

I'm very thankful that she turns back to the road because in the next second, I feel my cheeks burn.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much for the amazing reviews, they all made me so very happy. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, let me know if you don't. If you do like it, still let me know; I love the feedback.**

 **Thanks so much to everyone reading and I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it.**

Forever

Chapter 4

"No Eric, I am not asking you to the dance," I sigh, having already turned down Mike as well not a few minutes ago.

The dejected boy walks away with a puppyish pout.

Tyler Crowley approaches next, a wide confident grin set in place. After the almost accident, he had taken to following me around (when I'm not near the Cullens) and joining my little unwanted fan club of pubescent children.

"Hey Bella."

"Tyler, I'm really not in the mood right now."

"Oh, well this will just take a second." I turn slightly to let him know I'm listening as I continue on my journey to the school. "I was just wondering if you'd ask me to the dance coming up."

"No Tyler, I don't like any of the guys at this school."

"Well that's okay," he says, still with a smile. "There's always prom."

I blanch at his retreating back.

"I'm not going to prom with you!" I curse as he doesn't turn around.

Hmmm, maybe if I...

"What'chya thinking about?" Mary asks, amusement making her eyes look like liquid honey.

"The best way to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow without getting arrested," I reply matter of factly.

A surprised laugh bubbles up from her, sounding like wind chimes.

"You don't even have a bike anymore, how are you going to run him over?"

"I'll wait till its fixed then. My dad made friends with a guy that has a son who works on cars. He said he'd fix mine for free as long as I provide him with the parts needed."

"Darn. I don't like you on that thing- it's dangerous."

I just roll my eyes at her. Even before it was wrecked, she'd been begging me to let her buy me a nice safe car. She was ecstatic when it was folded in half by the van.

She latches onto my arm as we enter building three.

"I have a question for you," Alice's lips twist into a wide smile.

"Shoot," I tell her.

"Will you, Bella Swan, go to the girl's choice dance with me?"

I stumble to a stop, pulling my arm from my friend's grip as I turn to her.

"That's not funny," I growl.

"No, it's not," she agrees, smile still present but looking completely serious.

I pause, taking in her stiff shoulders and the slight nervousness crinkling at the edges of her eyes.

"Wait, your serious."

She nods, making my heart skip and hands sweat. I thread my fingers behind my back, rocking onto my heels and to my toes.

My cheeks redden.

"Alright then, but who's going to help me pick out my dress?"

All hesitance leaves her as the shy smile turns into a full blown excited grin.

She squeals, wrapping her arms back around my one and hugging it to her chest. She drags me forward towards my first class, all the while talking about plans to head to Seattle to search for the perfect dress, relenting after my constant refusals to allow her to pay for a designer dress for me.

My mind flashes to auburn hair and blue eyes. Guilt and pain twinges my heart and I grasp the rings around my neck, hidden under my scarf.

...

"Come on, Alice, I found my dress and _hour_ ago. I didn't even know that there were enough dresses in this store for it to take this long," I whine, stretching my stiff back from sitting in the uncomfortable plastic chair for so long. "And you're not even letting me see you in any of them."

Her tinkling laugh sounds through the dressing room door.

"You don't get to see me in my dress until the dance."

I pout, even though she can't see me.

"I should get something for waiting for you for so long," I grumble, slumping awkwardly in my seat.

The door swings open smoothly to reveal a posing Alice who leans casually against the doorframe in a provocative black dress.

I rove my eyes up and down her pronounced figure, taking in the hem so short that if she bent over, anyone standing behind her would get a peak of her underwear. The neckline swoops low, pushing her breaths up in a very flattering way.

Needless to say, any guy looking at her in her goddess-like seductive glory would become her willing slave.

I meet her eyes, raising a brow as her plump lips cock into an alluring smirk.

"Alice, I like you and all, but if you wear that to the dance, I'm not going with you. You look like a prostitute."

She tilts her head back and laughs loudly into the empty shop, her voice carrying to every corner.

Her laugh is almost as loud and bellowing as Emmet's, though she could never sound so crude.

She doubles over, gasping for unnecessary air, before straightening and flashing me a heart-wrenching smile.

"You really are something, Bella. I was not expecting that reaction."

I sniff and turn away, hiding my amusement.

"I was raised a proper lady. You can't expect me to be okay with my date flaunting herself like a professional."

My lip twitches as she draws closer.

"Or maybe you just want me all to yourself?" She suggests.

I raise my eyebrow again, purposefully keeping my eyes leveled with hers and keeping my body relaxed.

She frowns slightly. "Do you not think me attractive?" She pouts.

"While provocative is fine and well, I prefer things that are more raw and real. There is no point in being with someone, if your relationship is ruled by lust and not love."

An expression that I can't place crosses her face, but only a flash of it shows before she is retreating back into the changing room, swaying her hips less than before.

I stand as she comes out in normal clothes, a single dress cover draped over her arm for her to pay.

As we leave the store and start walking down the darkening street, I speak up as she latches onto my arm after setting her very expensive dress in her car.

"Though to answer your earlier question, Alice, I find you very attractive. You could come to school wearing a trash bag and the other students would still be dim in comparison to you."

She seems horrified at the thought of ever wearing a bag that trash is supposed to go in, but other than that, she looks very pleased at my compliment.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews; it always makes me smile when I have a new one. I hope you enjoy this most reacent chapter and please let me know if it's getting worse, better, or just staying the same.**

 **I enjoy feedback as long as it's not meant to be mean.**

Forever

Chapter 5

Beside me, Alice's steps falter and a second latter she walks with a stiffness that tampers her usual grace. A low growl rumbles in her chest, so low that I only catch it because of the vibrations transferring to my arm.

Her grip becomes like a vice, almost painful, so I stretch out my senses in search of what caused her happy and carefree demeanor to drop so suddenly.

I hear the very faint sound of footsteps behind us, two pair that sound like they're following at a distance.

Understanding has me relaxing further into my vampire best friend, completely at ease.

It's just a stupid human. I would be able to escape just as easily if I were by myself.

I bump my shorter companion, drawing her attention to my lazy smile.

"Feeling up for a snack before we reach the restaurant? I promise I won't tattle."

She smiles slightly at me, and relaxes some.

We round a corner and stop short at two guys leaning against a wall, waiting.

"There you are!" One of them calls, waving as the two guys behind us turn the corner as well.

We pause as they converge on us. Excitement builds in me the closer that they get. I wonder if I could hold my own against them...

"Hey sweetheart, we are going to rock your world tonight." One of them says grinning, before faltering when I grin widely.

"Excellent," I say, letting go of Alice and stepping closer to them.

My vampiric friend makes a startled sound in the back of her throat and reaches out to pull me back.

"Bella," she hisses.

"I'll give you one chance to walk away now."

Their bellowing laughs echo around the dark and empty ally, unnoticed by the lights and traffic just a block away.

How did we come to be on these abandoned streets?

From the corner of my eye, Alice's obsidian eyes become unfocused before lightening to a brownish yellow, gaping at me in surprise.

The man closest to me reaches out, but before he can get a good hold on me, I grasp his wrist, twist, and thrown him over my shoulder.

I quickly stomp on his nose, breaking it.

The next one lunges at me, but he's slow enough that I easily step out of the way and kick the back of his knees so he falls to them and I deliver a quick spinning kick to his head, knocking him out before turning to Alice.

She had gotten over her shock and taken the other two down in a blink of an eye. I was much more merciful than her.

I pout at her, ignoring the moaning man at her feet as he cradled his arm that was cleanly snapped in half and almost ripped from his body.

"What was that?" She asks, "I didn't know you could fight."

"I've been studying all kinds of fighting styles for years. I've gotten quite good."

She snorts. "I'll say. What do we do about them?"

I shrug. "I guess drop them off at the police station."

"What about their injuries?" She doesn't seem very worried about it and frankly, neither am I.

I sigh though, and bend down to pinch the first fallen man's nose, making him groan in unconsciousness. With a quick jerk, it's set back in place.

I go to the broken armed one and set it with a splint made of a rotting plank and old twine.

The other two are just unconscious and only one of them probably had a concussion.

Alice, again, watches me in surprise before just blinking in amazement and helping me to drop them off at a police station with a note attached with an explanation and a note of the injuries they sustained.

I was very pleased by the time we sit down at La Bella Italiana.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Alice says as my food, plain cheese pizza, is placed in front of me.

"For a human, yes," I answer honestly.

She grins.

As I eat, guilt starts to crawl up my throat. I know all about vampires, more about her old life than she does, and yet she knows nothing about my secrets. That I even have one.

Why am I even still hiding it from her?

"Mary," I say, capturing her interest immediately. I only ever call her it when I'm being serious, and I don't even notice. It's something that I've always done.

"I have...secrets. Big secrets that I haven't told about myself to anyone other than two others before."

She tilts her head, curiosity shining brightly in her eyes.

"You don't have to tell me." She offers, though I can see her burning questions.

"I will tell you. Eventually. Just...not yet."

Her lip pouts out in disappointment, but she doesn't push.

After threatening Alice into letting me pay for my own check, she drives me home in relative silence.

"Whelp," I say, rocking back on my heels as I stand in front of my door.

The sky is surprisingly clear tonight, enabling the pale moon to shimmer Alice's marble skin to a memorizing silver. "Thank you for taking me out tonight."

She flashes me a stunning smile, making my heart falter enough for her to hear.

She steps closer, grin widening, so close that our toes almost touch. Her sent wraps around me, smelling of rain, vanilla, and chocolate. That alone makes my mind somewhat muddled, not to mention the look in her eyes.

She wants to kiss me, I can tell. I want her to kiss me too, but another face flashes- auburn hair, blue eyes, and I step back.

I catch her hand that had rested itself on my cheek, and swoop into a sweeping bow where I place a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

"M'lady," I murmur with a crooked smile, taking another step away and ignoring her disappointed look.

"Goodnight, Mary Alice," I say opening the door. "I'll see you Thursday."

She had told me earlier that the sun will be out all the first week and that she won't be in school.

"You can always come bye after school..." She offers hopefully but I shake my head.

"You're getting dark; you need to hunt. Plus, there are some things I need to work on. Goodnight, Alice."

"Bye."

The door closes, forming a barrier between us.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry for getting this up so late, I'm out of state and my computer is being all wonky and things are just kind of hectic. I hope you all like this chapter, I honestly don't remember what I've written and I'll have to go back and look before next. The next chapter will be up on time sometime next weekend I hope you guys like it; let me know in a review.**

 **Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and all the other holiday wishes that I am ignorant of. Just Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.**

Forever

Chapter 6

"Bella... Bella... Isabella!"

"Hm?" I sit up straight, fast, banging my knee against the table in the process. "Yes- what?"

A few students snicker as the teacher looks down at me with disapproving eyes. A frown mars his lips, turning them down in a drastic slope.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't sleep in my class."

I let out a legit yawn, being careful to cover my mouth with the back on my hand. My tongue wets my lips and my eyes droop.

"If you're so bored that you doze off, maybe you already know the material and would like to take the test now."

Annoyance creeps into my drowsiness but I keep my features carefully schooled in innocent obliviousness.

"Oh, the test is today? Alright then."

He blanches before going to his desk and pulling out a piece of paper to slap in down in front of me.

I hum innocently as I do no more than glance over the question before answering. I usually at least pretend to be stumped and drag in out so I'm not the first one finished, but this teacher is really annoying me. So I show off answer them as quick as I know them and turn in the three-page test in less than two minutes.

Both the teacher and class look on in mild fascination as I set it on his desk before climbing back into my seat and laying my head down to once again doze off, thoughts revolving around one Mary Alice Brandon.

Her eyes flash in my head, both luminescent green and liquid gold.

I loved her green eyes that saw so much, even in sleep, but there is also something charming about the way they are now. The way they darken when she's upset in some way, or when she need to feed, or lighten when she's incredibly happy.

I think over the way she looked last weekend standing on my doorstep with her halo of inky spikes.

Even when she was human they were always a chaotic mess.

The bell rings shocking me out of my daydreaming and I slump out the door after the rest of the class with a heavy pack.

School is even more boring than usual without the Cullens and I beg for the day that they return. At lunch, I put my head down and fall into a dreamless sleep.

...

Humming an ancient tune under my breath, a pour a few milliliters of a clear substance into a beaker that is already halfway full. A few caged mice produce background vocals as I wait for a reaction from the formula I'm experimenting with.

My lips pull down when nothing happens.

Clicking my tongue, I lean over it to look from a different angle.

 _Pff!_

I jerk away coughing at the toxic vapor that had just exploded in my face, dropping the glass and letting it shatter against the basement floor.

"Bella, your friend Alice is here!" Charlie calls from upstairs. I can hear his voice lower as her talks to just her. "She's down in the basement but she'll be right up."

"That's alright Chief Swan, I'll just go down."

My eyes widen, taking in the cages of rats, medical posters, real human bones, notes on my own personal death experiences and all sorts of torture and killing devices that are for my own use and sick curiosity. The beheading contraption still had leftover blood crusting on its blade.

Rare poisons scatter the shelves in an ominous and likely illegal way.

I scramble over the broken glass, ripping off my latex gloves at I trip up the stairs and shove out the basement door.

Alice startles, hand reached out as if to reach for the knob. I quickly slam the door shut, leaning against it heavily as if that could stop her from going down there.

"Alice! W-what are you doing here?" I stutter with wide eyes, pulling off my safety goggles hazardously and tossing them unceremoniously down the hall.

She relaxes, dropping her hand and raising a perfectly curved eyebrow.

"Whatcha doing down there?" She asks in cautious amusement and I shrug off my white lab coat and give it the same treatment as my goggles.

"That is none of your concern," I say airily, trying to get her attention away from the door but she just grins mischievously at me and reaches for the knob.

"Now that just makes me even more curious."

I catch her hand, smiling easily at her and tug her away from the basement door.

"I like chemistry and Charlie lets me use it as a laboratory. Don't think to much into it."

She entwines our fingers, following me willingly up the stairs to my room. When she's not looking, I flick Charlie the bird because of his suggestive eyebrow wiggling.

He's been trying to get me to date for decades and he really likes Alice. To him, because she can never die and I seem to like her, she is the perfect solution to my lonesome.

He full out laughs causing my vampire friend to look over curiously.

She seems to brush it off and continue to pull me up the stairs to cuddle or talk or whatever she came over for.

"When did you get back?" I ask shutting the door behind me.

"Just now," she smiles coyly pushing me onto the bed so she could curl up to my side.

I allow it with little protests having grown used to it long ago when she was still human, but it's odd to have someone hold me like this again after so many years.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, we are a little more than halfway done and I have new story ideas for Bellice. I'll give you guys little summaries soon to let you guys pick which one you want me to do. The titles right now are When Gravity Moves and Witch Hunt. More information will be out soon.**

 **Thanks so much for reading and leave your thoughts in a review!**

Forever

Chapter 7

"Charlie," I sigh, "it's no big deal."

My son sniffs dramatically, dabbing at imaginary tears as I stand awkwardly at the bottom of the staircase.

"No, this, this is a huge deal. You're going to a high school _dance_. With a _date_. This has never happened before."

I scoff, scowling at him with crossed arms.

"Yeah, well, just remember who raised you and knows all your embarrassing stories."

"It's not like you can tell any of them."

"Of course I can; I can claim that 'Grandma Isabella' told me."

He pauses, narrowing his eyes to gage just how serious I was being.

"Well I'll microwave your dinner, then," he threatens.

My eyes widen, shocked outrage dropping my jaw.

"Those _things_ have no business being anywhere in this house and if you ever decide to get one, I'll rip it out of the wall and test how it fares against my guillotine. They are abominations that should never have been invented."

Charlie laughs at me, throwing his head back in a loud bellow as he claps me on the shoulder.

"Really, though," I say shifting uncomfortably. "How do I look?"

"Ma, you look lovely. Alice will be stunned."

I nod in appreciation. "Good."

The doorbell rings, breaking me out of my slightly teenager-ish insecurities. I must say that I haven't felt this fidgety in a long time.

I pull the door open to reveal a stunning goddess.

Mary Alice stands in a ruffled purple dress-like-silk that falls to just below her knees. It is strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a black satin ribbon that wraps around her rib cage to form a bow in the back.

It's a lot simpler than something that I would have thought Alice to get.

My friend shifts slightly under my scrutiny, looking as if she would be blushing if she could.

"So how do I look?" She asks. Clearly, I'm not the only one with insecurities tonight.

I smile and offer my hand to her. When she takes it, I dip my head, brushing a soft kiss along her knuckles.

"You're truly breathtaking."

She seems immensely pleased with my compliment and leans in to tug at my silvery dress scarf and hem of my matching sweater that shields the majority of my arms.

"You look dashing yourself, though I'm kind of disappointed that you're wearing a scarf _again_. You _always_ wear a scarf."

Deciding I could tell her this little truth, I shrug.

"I have scars that I don't like to be seen."

She frowns and moves to tug the fabric away from my skin but I stop her by catching her hand.

"Shall we go?" I ask, already leading her out the door before she can answer.

We both slide into her overly flashy canary-yellow car.

"You know I could never judge you because of a scar, right?" She asks, looking over at me before pulling out of the driveway.

I grin, even though the subject makes my stomach turn, and wink at her.

"My scars are all a part of my secret, Mary. If you saw them, only more questions will rise."

"You have a good way of raising them just by speaking," she says dryly, turning away with a frustrated look pulling slightly at her lips.

I hesitate for a moment before reaching across the consul and resting my hand over top of hers. "If you really want me to tell you now, I will."

She readjusts her hand in mine, capturing my fingers and entwining them. Her cool hand feels nice resting in my palm, like a pleasantly cold river running over sunburn skin.

"No, it's fine. At least for tonight."

Upon arriving at the unremarkable school dance, I open Alice's door to lead her into the gymnasium where loud music plays, hot bodies sway, and lights that could give anyone a seizure, flash.

I grimace as my vampire friend drags me over to a table that is occupied by her siblings. One of the benefits of being around these particular supernatural creatures is that the mortals tend to instinctively shy away from them, therefore leaving plenty of room where I don't feel like I'll suffocate to death. A five by the way on my painful deaths list.

Rosalie has a permanent grimace scrunching her face as she sits stone still in the chair next to Emmet.

"I swear that if the start play Justin Bieber, I will rip off my ears," she growls as we join her.

"Who's Justin Bieber?" I ask curiously, tilting my head at the odd name.

The three vampires' jaws drop in disbelief.

"Now I _know_ you're acting dumb," Emmet says making me even more confused. Does he go to this school? Is he the principal or something?

"Really, who is he?"

Rosalie full out laughs, throwing her head back and letting her blond hair bounce behind her. Many guys stare dumbly at the beauty, slightly dazed looks directed at her.

"I think she's serious."

I scowl at her, as she doesn't go on to explain.

"What?" I grumble at the perplexing expression that Alice wears.

She shakes her head with a fond smile. "Nothing. Would you like to dance?" She asks, offering her hand.

I'm about to point out that the type of song is not the kind to dance the way she's wanting to when the song changes to a slower one.

It's much more bearable than the ones playing before, though nowhere near the tastefulness of classical.

I tug her to the middle of the swaying crowd, watching in fascination as they part easily for her with no one seeming any wiser.

My hands naturally find her waist as hers hang over my shoulder and tangle in my hair. We are close- closer than we've ever been before.

Eventually, we fall into an old ballroom dance that had long ago fallen out of memory but she easily follows my lead as if I'm leading her down the hallway.

"So where's Jasper and Edward?" I question, causing her gaze to flick back to my eyes. They have been staring at my lips the past few minutes of our twirling, and it was making me slightly flustered.

"Edward doesn't normally come to these functions and Jasper is staying home. He usually escorts me to dances and events but..."

"I am your date tonight."

"Yes." She seems pleased with my word choice.

As the song changes, we shift into another different type of slow dance- a more modern one suited for a high school student.

Her eyes once again lower, seeming to trail down all my curves making a lump in my throat hard to swallow.

"I never did comment on your dress," she whispers, untangling her one hand in my hair to trail down my neck, past my shoulder, and all the way down my arm to rest over my hand that is respectfully placed on her waist.

Her other hand slides to cup my cheek. "It looks very beautiful on you," she continues; cool breath puffing across my neck where I can already feel blood rushing to my face.

My breath catches as her nose brushes against mine; I can feel every part of her that touches me and every part that doesn't. A desperate yearning that I haven't felt in over half a century comes over me, pooling in my lower stomach with a soft ache.

I gasp silently and step away, placing space between us again and breaking the spell she had cast around me.

"I'm going to get some punch; all this dancing has made me thirsty. Would you like anything?" I say with a carefully placed evenness.

Disappointment, along with a little hurt, darkens her eyes, but she shakes her head no and starts her way back to our vacant table as I head to the snacks.

"I saw that," a cold voice says behind me as I shakily pour myself some red punch that is likely spiked with bad beer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, steadying myself as I turn to face Rosalie. Emmet, I can see, is now twirling his tiny sister almost comically around gaping onlookers.

Rosalie is not glaring at me like I would have thought, but has a measuring look like she's trying to figure something out.

"My sister has never dealt with any kind of heartbreak before, and I don't think she could handle it coming from you." She finally says after several long seconds.

I set my unsupervised cup down in favor of crossing my arms, as if an extra barrier can hold me together.

"You'd be surprised how much a person can handle, when they are forced to. However," I say as she opens her mouth to retort, "I have no intentions of hurting Alice. That of course doesn't mean it won't happen."

I sigh, distress overtaking me as I rake my hands through my hair, destroying any order it might have once held.

She gives me another long measuring look.

Rosalie turns to watch her husband and sister giggle together, with me.

"I think that you do care for her," Rose says, "but you are scared to... Is it because she's a girl or because she's a vampire?"

"Neither. In fact, vampire is a good thing because I would never have to worry about her being in danger, especially with such a large coven. I'm just not ready for someone to care for me in that way, or for me to care for someone else in that way."

She is silent and doesn't speak again, even as Alice comes skipping forward with a wide smile and light in her eyes. It's as if our intimate moment never happened.

I allow myself to let the stress of the situation slip away as she draws closer and let myself get lost in teenage pining for something I can't, or won't let myself, have.


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay guys, so here are the summeries you can choose from.**

* * *

 **Witch Hunt**

 **He's a paranoid man believing in magic."**

 **I start to smile. "You don't believe in magic, Jacob?"**

 **"No," he scoffs. "Do you?"**

 **Of course. "I believe that there are things in this world that humans can't even comprehend or know of."**

 **Jacob looks like he's trying to repress laughter.**

 **"That's deep."**

* * *

 **or**

* * *

 **When Gravity Moves**

 **I barely notice my brother, perfectly fine, though terrified, a few yards away, because all I can think as she bares her teeth at the now headless kidnapper is, _beautiful_.**

 **She turns her golden honey eyes to me, and they widen in shock and horror as she drops the head she was holding.**

 **I can understand why she would fear me- she's on Quileute land and I am a giant beast coming out of the trees, a predator made to destroy beings like herself.**

* * *

 **Both are, of course, going to be Bellice. Please vote in your reviews: which one do you want me to do next? Please also leave a review on you you like this week's chapter; we are nearing the end.**

Forever

Chapter 8

"Damn!" I curse, bursting out of freezing water with a gasp. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!"

I tread my way to the rocky shore of La Push beach, the closest large body of water, shivering terribly in cold.

My jaw tightens in awkwardness as I climb out of the small waves and a few people on the reservation turn to gape at me.

A stupid driver that was diving home drunk at twelve in the afternoon drove around a corner and hit me. How is it that I attract death even when I'm trying not to die?

I walk up the beach, nodding to a few bystanders as I walk past them in the direction of the road.

It doesn't take long for a cop car to pull up beside me.

"Hello officer," I sigh, raising my hands has he walks over with a baffled expression. I am by far the most interesting thing that has ever set foot in this town.

...

"Thanks Bobby," Charlie says as an officer leaves, keys jingling noisily on his belt.

When he sees me, clothed in baggy grey precinct sweats and a turtleneck, he bursts into a fit of choking chuckles that are ineffectively stifled.

"Yes, well, I'm glad you find my death so amusing," I say dryly, walking out of the opened cellar in bare feet and wet hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. What happened?" He asks after he's able to wipe the amusement from his face. "Fall off a cliff? Mauled by a bear? Eaten by a vampire?"

"Drunk driver." I growl.

He frowns, much less amused. If it weren't me, the driver would have become a real murderer.

"Do you remember what kind of car it was? The license plate?"

"It doesn't matter Charlie. I couldn't turn him in anyway, because I don't have a scratch on me. Not to mention that I was picked up five minutes latter twenty miles away for indecent exposure."

He sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"Alright, get on out of here. Alice is waiting for you."

I groan, letting my head fall into my hands and shuffle in the direction of the exit.

"Fantastic."

She is there by my father's desk, leaning against it casually with her arms crossed. Her golden eyes find me immediately, glimmering in surprised hilarity as her lips stretch into a grin.

Her body moves fluidly as she pushes off the sturdy desk, and saunters over.

" _Streaking_? I didn't think you the type, Bella." She says.

"Sleepwalking," I say easily.

"Sleepwalking," she repeats with an unconvinced smile.

"Yes, it's a very serious condition called _somnambulism_." I insist earnestly.

"You were naked."

"I sleep naked," I say pleasantly.

"Liar," she teases. "You sleep in grey sweats and a purple t."

"It is creepy that you know that. Do you sit outside my window at night?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. It's not something very surprising coming from her, she had always climbed into my bed at the institute and she had long ago admitted that she likes watching me sleep. Why wouldn't it be the same now, even if she doesn't remember?

"No!" She says indignantly. She pauses, tilts her head before reluctantly admitting in a mumble, "in that rocking chair in the corner of your room."

I laugh, hooking my arm through hers.

"Remind me to get a lock for my panties drawer so you won't be tempted to look in it."

She sputters at my bold statement, reeling back with a shocked expression that pales in a not-blush type way.

Pulling herself together, she clears her throat unnecessarily.

"Fair warning that Emmet will be teasing you mercilessly for this whole streaking thing when you come watch us play baseball tomorrow."

"How do you know that I don't have plans?"

"Because you already said yes when I asked."

"I don't remember this conversation."

"I do," she gloats with a sly, knowing smile.

I sigh. "Right."

She gives a little squeal of delight that has me smiling softly at her.

"Good, Edward will pick you up in Emmet's jeep at four and then run you to the clearing we'll be playing in."

I nod in understanding, really curious now as to how vampires play baseball. It can't be the normal way; it would get too boring for them because it's too easy.

Hmm.

...

It turns out that they just widen the bases- a simple solution really. And I mean really, really, widen them. Like, _really_ far apart.

After Edward picked me up in Emmet's jeep (which is huge by the way) he drives me for a while to a trail where I had to awkwardly climb onto his back so he could run me to the place.

It was very uncomfortable to me having only gotten used to Alice's touch, and Esme's, some, along with Emmet. While Esme's touch is associated with hugs and comfort, Emmet's was always to try and scare me, either by throwing me ten feet into the air, pretend to shove me off a cliff, or actually throwing me off a cliff that one time.

Of course I never came in danger of hitting the ground and Alice ripped off his arm and hid it for a week, but I had to give him props for authenticity even though he still failed to scare me.

I think he and the entire family really do believe me insane now, or the very least fearless, which is something that I am very not.

I fear many things including death, just, not my own.

"It's time." Alice announces in a clear voice that carries across the grey field, just as lightning flashes above in the black clouds.

The vampires fall into their spots, the teams being Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper and Edward, Emmet, and Carlisle.

Esme is the catcher and ref as I stand a few feet away so as not to be in the way of a bullet-speed ball or a train-strength swing of a bat.


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Please review and if you haven't voted on the next story yet, please vote!**

Forever

Chapter 9

"Stop!" Alice says suddenly after several amazing hits and runs and minutes of playing. My smile fades at the look of complete horror on her face.

I blink and she's in front of me at a speed I couldn't follow, shoving and pushing me with a roughness she's never used on me before.

"They're coming. They heard us playing and changed directions Why didn't I see?!" Alice rambles, pulling me into her arms, to run maybe, before switching directions as her unfocused eyes see things that no one else, except maybe Edward, does.

"It's too late; there's not enough time!" She panics, holding me tighter than normal in her worry.

"Alice..." I say, trying to get her black unfocused eyes to fix on the me that is in the present. "Alice... Mary!" I shout, grabbing her face in both of my hands.

Even though I know that all the power I could muster wouldn't hurt her, my touch is light, as if it's not even there.

I run my fingertips gently over the tense muscles of her jaw, across her stony lips set in a threatening snarl, and under her obsidian eyes that are so dark that I can see my own worried reflection looking back at me.

"What is it, Mary; what do you see?"

She blinks several times, until slowly, her crushing grip loosens, her snarl drops, and she's looking back at me with the most helpless expression I've ever seen.

Edward answers for her. "Some nomads were passing through Forks. They were leaving until they heard us playing. Now they're coming here."

Hisses come from every vampire in the clearing, including the one that first knew the news.

"Shh..." I calm her, caressing her face in the way that calmed her the first time. "I'll be fine; everything will be okay," I whisper to her, though I know that everyone present can hear.

"How long?" Carlisle asks, ever the leader.

"How many?" Rosalie inquires right after.

"Thirty seconds and three of them."

Emmet scoffs, clashing his fists together with a booming noise. "Let them come."

"Now, now, Alice said they're just curious. It might not come to a fight."

Rosalie snorts in disbelief.

So we wait in a disordered line in a way that they have strategically placed gifted vamps closest to me.

Alice herself is still at my side, holding me possessively in her stone cold arms. Perhaps she's trying to rub her sent off on me, or maybe she's just really worried about her human meeting human drinkers.

They appear out of the trees like terrifying angels, crimson red eyes and a feral air about them.

I involuntarily shiver, remembering the last time I encountered a human blood drinker. The covered scars on my neck and arms almost burn at the memories.

After seeing our nonthreatening stances, they slowly relax their aggressive crouches.

Carlisle steps forward, hands out in greeting.

"Hello."

The one in front nods, taking in the obvious number difference. There are only three in his coven.

"This is my family, Esme, Rosalie, Emmet, Bella, Alice, and Jasper." He's careful not to single me out.

"I am Laurent, and this is James and Victoria."

"I'm afraid I'd have to ask you not to hunt in the immediate area. See, we have a permanent residence here and would like to avoid anything that might draw attention to ourselves."

Surprise flickers their features. "Permanent? How do you manage that?"

"We drink from animals instead of humans."

"Really? How curious." The male says. "Anyway, we heard you playing and wondered if we could join."

Carlisle smiles.

"Of course. A few of us were just leaving. Alice, Bella, Edward? You can go now."

Alice turns with me, Edward finding my other side, and I almost relax at the peaceful confrontation.

But I'm supposed to die whenever faced with death.

A wind rips through the clearing, blowing my hair back and straight into the path of the other vampires. Immediately, their eyes darken and lethal bodies crouch.

"You brought a snack?" The leader asks, wearily eying the crouched vampires that have all fallen into defensive stances in front of me.

Alice herself has the loudest snarl and grumbling growl.

"She is part of the family," Carlisle says firmly. "Perhaps you should go; I believe we're done here."

Laurent slowly straightens, taking in the obvious numbers on our side.

"Fine. We'll go. James!" He snaps at the blond male who still stares at me in a crouch.

He straightens slowly and turns away, reluctant.

When they disappear behind trees, I'm snatched by a cold pale blur that whisks me away and starts shoving me into the very large jeep several seconds later.

Then the trees outside become a blur again as Alice drives like a bat out of hell.

"Alice," I say warningly as she drives the way out of town. "What are you doing? Take me home."

"You don't understand, Bella. That wasn't the end; he won't stop until you're dead! He's a tracker and we just made this is his most interesting hunt."

If he's a tracker, then...

"Alice, take me home!" I demand firmly, using an icy tone that I have never used on her before.

It's enough for her to snap her eyes away from the road to stare at me with dark eyes.

"Charlie is at the house and if he is tracking me, he will go there. I will not have anyone die for me. Take me home. I'll make up a story where James can hear me leaving, so Charlie will be safe."

Alice's hands tighten on the wheel.

"It's a good plan," Emmet admits from the back seat.

The steering wheel groans under the pressure.

"If you don't turn this car around, I will jump out right now." I threaten.

Alice snorts, not believing me.

I unbuckle and fling the door open with much difficulty from how fast we're going.

I start to jump, preparing for a jolting impact that will surely kill me, when a hand snags me and pulls me back in.

"Fine, fine!" Alice shouts panicky, door slamming shut. She has a wild, hysterical look as she makes a fast U-turn and speeds back to my house.

...

"Charlie!" I yell bursting through the door. "Charlie-"

"What?" He says rounding the corner from the living room. He was probably watching that dreadful television.

"I'm leaving," I say crisply, going to the phone on the wall where a pen and a pad of paper is.

"Leaving?"

"I can't stay here, I'm leaving."

 _Danger. Stay in crowded places. Be back soon._

He reads my message as I head to the stairs and understanding relaxes his face.

"Where are you going?" He asks, putting on the reluctant dad facade.

"Phoenix." I say honestly.

I shove several clothes into a bag before rushing down the hall. I give him a quick peck on the cheek before lunging out the door.

"That's it?" Emmet says in surprise. "Wow."

I shrug stiffly. "He knows he can stop me. The less we argue, the sooner I come back."

"Run away often?" Alice asks stiffly. She seems to be still hung up on me throwing myself out of a moving vehicle bit.

I shrug in answer. "Not often."


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: This story is almost over; only two or three more chapters to go! Please review and let me know what you think!**

Forever

Chapter 10

After a bunch of arguing and hasty planning that I don't really remember, I fall into a type of stupor in the car as we speed off to Arizona. The part that I do remember is the goodbye to Alice after everyone told her that she couldn't go with me.

I remember her desperate look as she walked up to me; I remember seeing that she was going to kiss me; I remember wanting to kiss her too, but I remember hugging her instead.

She had looked resigned and crestfallen as I got in the car with Jasper and Edward, and my heart had ached painfully in longing and regret.

"You love her." Jaspers says quietly from the front, startling me from my thoughts.

"Yes," I say to his statement, knowing that there would be no point in lying to a man that could feel whatever I feel.

"Then why don't you kiss her?" He asks, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Because I was unconditionally in love before, and she died," I admit.

"So you feel like you would be betraying her if you were with Alice," he says like he's finally understood, but I shake my head.

"No that's not it at all- she would be begging me to move on."

"Then what is it?" He's puzzled again.

I pause wondering if all this would get back to the pixie. "Alice is very easy to fall in love with, and when I'm with her, I could just forget about everything. I don't want to forget about _her_."

He's silent for a while, glancing at the quiet mind reader.

"I think that as long as you remember her sometimes, you can let go."

Just remember her sometimes? At the idea, my chest seems to loose the weight that restricts my breathing. I touch my necklace distractedly.

"Alright then. The next time I see Alice, no matter where I am or what's happening, I'll kiss her." I say.

His answering smile is visible in the mirror.

After that, I drop off to sleep, dreaming of our victorious reunion of easily-conquered human-drinking vampires.

"Bella, we're here." A soft voice coaxes me awake, and I shove away the cold hands.

"Charlie? No, don't microwave my...mm..."

A musical chuckle sounds above me.

"Bella, it's Edward. We're at the hotel in Phoenix."

I sit up blearily, not in my bed or lab, but leather seat cushions that now have a puddle of drool.

"Hm?" I blink a few times, yawn, and look around uncomprehendingly. "Oh," I say when things finally click in my brain. "Are we here?"

He chuckles again and opens the car door wider for me.

It's dark out, suggesting nighttime, and the air is hot. In front of the door is a grand hotel.

"Why don't you go on up and head to bed."

"Right," I sigh, clambering out and ignoring the odd looks from the doorman of my disheveled state. I'm used to odd looks- normally directed at me when I'm walking down the street butt naked.

I follow Jasper up to the third floor and fall into the couch tiredly. I'm asleep in seconds.

I wake up again when light is pouring through a crack in the thick curtains, the perfect position to blind me as I open my eyes.

I climb out of the huge bed that I don't remember falling asleep on, dread starting to pool in my stomach as I walk out of the bedroom.

I know for a fact that vampires are almost indestructible, but what if one of them gets lucky? I don't want any of the Cullens to be harmed.

"They will be okay, won't they?" I ask as I enter the living area. Edward is nowhere to be seen, but Jasper stares blankly the TV. Images flash across it, but no noise comes out of it and it doesn't seem to actually be capturing the vampire's attention.

He turns his head to look at me.

"I mean, it's hard to hurt a vampire, right? And they're strong and smart; they are in no danger?"

"Everyone will be safe," he says and turns back to the muted television.

Edward appears later in the day without a word and a cart of room service in his wake.

After a forced breakfast, we wait in silence, pretending to watch some soap opera.

The phone rings and it's to an ear before the first chime comes to an end.

Jasper listens intently, ignoring Edward when he starts to curse at something he hears. My muscles tense as he glances non-so conspicuously at me.

"Alright," he says and snaps the cell phone shut.

"Well?" I press when he doesn't say anything for several moments.

My voice seems to spur him into movement and he's rushing about, gathering my few things. Jasper is already disappearing out the hotel door.

"They lost track of James. They think he's coming here so Alice and Carlisle will be on the first plane out here to help guard. Alice saw something that really spooked her, but she won't say what. We'll meet them at the airport."

I nod stiffly, jaw aching with how tight I'm clenching it. This is starting to be a lot more trouble that I thought it would be.

The phone starts to ring again, right as I'm about to go mad just sitting there, and I pick it up gratefully.

Edward only spares me a glance.

"Hello?" I ask, grimacing at the device.

"Bella," a voice coos and I immediately step into the other room.

"Where do you want to meet so we can get this over with?" I drawl lazily.

The vampire that's hunting me makes a startled noise. "I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, you and I both know that you will eventually find a way to get to me, and I don't much like being hunted, so tell me where you want to meet so we can get this over with."

"There's a ballet studio that I want you to follow my directions too, do you understand?"

I listen intently as he tells me exactly where to go.

"And-"

"Yeah, yeah, 'come alone', 'I'll know if it's a trap', blah, blah, blah. I'll see you in an hour."

It's oddly satisfying to hang up on the guy hunting you down to kill you. I'll have a lot of fun annoying him until I set him on fire.

And I know that I can. The vampire that I had met was about twenty years after Alice disappeared from the asylum. He was just expecting a quick meal, and he did get one, until I died and disappeared in his cold arms with his teeth still sunk in my neck.

I didn't know I could still scar until I woke up in that icy lake in Michigan. I still remember what his face was like when he saw me again, same scent, same face, with only a scar adorning my neck.

Me, I was terrified for the first time in a long time. I'm mean, vampires! But I guess I couldn't be the only thing that's thought to be unreal out there.

The vampire was convinced he had only fantasized about killing me, so he killed me again. And again, I disappeared right out of his hands. It didn't take him any time at all to find me again, this time with a grin, and an idea.

A hunt. I would be such fun to hunt, an endless meal with only one death, my death, over and over.

I had five days to run, go anywhere in the world, and then he would hunt me down. If he caught me, he could have a nice delicious meal. If I evaded him for five days after the start of his hunt, he'd let me go.

Until he decided he wanted to know what made me tick. What made me disappear and come back, what made me not completely die. He must have tried to change me a dozen times, biting my arms or right over my heart.

I thought I knew pain, but I had never felt any like that. I didn't actually die for three days, until my heart stopped, and then I would emerge from the water with five days to run before he would come after me to do it all over again.

He never told anyone else about me, holding causal conversation with me as I writhed in pain. He told me about the Volturi and the laws.

Of course I tried to kill him; I tried everything I'd ever heard about: holy water, garlic, pumpkin, steak to the heart, until I finally set a trap for him, drenching the bastard in gasoline and setting him on fire.

Amazingly, he burned. He screamed and burned, and then he was ash. It took me three years, and it seemed like it was just a dream when it was over. Time has no meaning to me, but those three years were a long time.

Now I have another vampire hunting me, but I'm the one meeting him. I can't go ahead of him and set the trap, he's already there. I'll have to come up with something else other than simply stringing a bucket from the ceiling and lighting a match.

"Who was it?" Edward asks when I enter back into the main room.

"Wrong number," I shrug, casually tossing the evil device to him. He catches it without another comment, and is soon guiding me downstairs to where Jasper has already checked out.

Now all I have to do is find a way to slip away, and set my hastily forming plan into action.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: The votes are in! _When Gravity Moves_ has a total of seven votes and _Witch Hunt_ has five, so start looking out for when the first chapter of WGM is posted. Thanks for playing ad see you next time!**

 **After this, there's one more chapter and then it's over. Writing this and seeing all the positive review has made me so, so happy, and I hope that you guys like my other story just as much.**

 **I hope this scene is too your satisfaction. Review; I'm hoping to at least get to 100!**

Forever

Chapter 11

Finding a way to give to give the two vampires the slip was almost embarrassingly easy. Then again, they weren't much expecting someone that they were protecting to try to escape from them.

All I had to do was convince them that I had to use the restroom, and then slip out the other exit.

Finding a gas station to fit my needs and a taxi to take me where I need to go was easy enough and I soon found myself at the agreed upon meeting spot: Some poor bloke's dance studio that is going to end up burned down.

I walk inside confidently, hair and cloths drenched and dripping, and come to a stop as I easily spot the glowing red eyes of the predator.

We measure each other up in silence.

"Isn't this the part where the villain gloats?" I drawl.

His teeth flash dangerously as he steps out of the shadows.

"If you insist. After all, this hunt was entirely too easy. What kind of creature eagerly runs towards capture?"

"I have been told on more than one occasion that I have no sense of self preservation. Maybe that's it?" I suggest.

He ignores me.

"I would have thought with so many protectors, you would have lasted at least a few days. Or they would have had the sense to turn you. It's actually by that way that the only prey I have ever lost, got away. Imagine my surprise to find her there in that field, guarding my next challenge."

"Of _course_ you were the reason." I deadpan.

Again, he ignores me.

Can you say rude? Back in my day, you always acknowledged someone when they were talking to you, even a servant. That's just plain disrespectful.

"Maybe after I drain you, I will attempt to fix my perfect kill record."

My back stiffens ramrod straight, and a glare settles on the bragging monster.

Anger rages in my veins, and I do the most stupid thing that I could possibly do: jump on him.

He's so startled by my attack, that I'm able to wrap my arms around his body, soaking his clothes through with mine. He recovers quickly, laughing at my human strength and useless attacks.

With a flick of his wrist, I'm sent flying into one of the many mirrors lining the walls, millions of sparkling, reflecting glass raining down on me.

Pain explodes in my head and several burning cuts leak red.

He laughs sadistically, reaching down and then flinging me across the studio, so high that I smash into a support beam on the ceiling before crashing back down to the wooden floor.

I can't help but scream as my arm snaps in at least three places, maybe more. An odd relief follows as my entire lower body goes numb of any feeling.

Paralyzed. Huh, that's a new one

James saunters over slowly, like he has all the time in the world.

He might, but I know that Alice's plane would have touched down a while ago and the four Cullens would have begun their frantic search, following my subtle clues.

He rolls me over non-too gently. A groan forces it's way from my lips as my head lulls weakly from the whiplash I had just received, and another snapping is heard but pain doesn't register has the sadistic monster squeezes my leg.

Come on Bella, move. Do it now; don't just lie there!

My cut and bleeding hand moves purposely to my pocket, fumbling clumsily as the edges of my vision darken dangerously. The mirrors above me shatter as James smashes them with his fist, trying to induce the fear that he's been waiting on.

A faint click, click- the vampire's eyes widen as he just then processes what exactly he's now soaked in, curiosity of me, but it's too late.

He should have questioned things much earlier.

I give a grimace of a smile as, with a screech, my would-be murderer goes up in beautiful orange dancing flames.

The doors burst open with a defending bang, giving birth to a furious pale pixie that is Mary Alice.

She pauses only a second, taking in the burning, writhing hunter, before her black eyes land on me.

I blink and she's suddenly crouched over me, blocking my view of the man inside a bon fire, and brushing soaked and bloody locks from my face.

My mouth works for a few seconds with nothing coming out.

In this time, the others arrive, only glancing at the still burning vampire, before converging around us.

"I- I'm so sorry," I finally manage to get out, but it sounds strangled to my ears. "I should- should have told you."

"Shh shh shh," she shushes me, cradling my cheek. "Don't speak. Carlisle," she directs warningly at her father figure, as he scurries about trying to fix my wounds.

"Should have- have told you." I grimace before a tickle in my throat makes me start coughing. New red stains join the growing pile.

"Carlisle," she says again, more loudly this time and more urgent. "Carlisle, do something! Stay awake Bella, look at me- don't go to sleep."

"Can't do anything," I wheeze. "Broken back, fractured skull, a piece of glass punctured my lung in my vena cava artery. Be dead in eight minutes."

I grimace in pain as more warm liquid plasters my once blue shirt. "Make that four."

"Carlisle!" Alice nearly yells in hysteria.

"She's right Alice, there's nothing I can do for her as human."

"Then change her," Alice begs, "please."

"No!" I gasp frantically. My thoughts are drifting together chaotically, but I know I don't want that pain again; it was terrible. "Don't bite me. Please. I don't want that."

Alice dry sobs, cold hands cupping my cheeks so very softly. Her hands don't even feel as cold as they used.

"Mary," I whisper.

With every bit of effort I have left, I swing my arm, unable to get it to cooperate properly, so it wraps around the back of her neck, pulling her down to me and I lift my heavy head.

Her lips are cool and soft as petals, but I can only hold myself up for a second before I fall back down.

"Meet me back at the hotel." I get out. "I'm sorry."

Then I grab a broken shard of glass and, before they can think to stop me, drag it hard and deep across my throat.

"No!" Alice's scream is so heart broken and full of grief as my heart gives one last weak thud.


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: I was going to wait another week to update, but you guys convinced me otherwise.**

 **So, this chapter was a little boring to write to me; but I want your guys's opinion. Is it alright? Is it an okay last chapter?**

 **After this, Forever is officially over, and I'm so happy with the way it turned out and I got so much more positives than I expected. It has been a fun journey, and I'm hoping to have another one with my next story When Gravity moves. I'm going to try to update much faster with that one because I feel that waiting too long between updates kind of ruins the excitement.**

 **I hope you guys like that one just as much, if not more.**

Forever

Chapter 12

I come up gasping, filling my lungs eagerly with much needed air. It's a very big relief as my legs tread water. Gone is the numbness as the warm, murky water brushes against my exposed skin in a familial way.

With a sigh, I start making my way towards the rocky shore where I will then try to get some clothes and go to the hotel I stayed at. Hopefully, Alice will still be there, waiting for me as I had asked her to.

...

I brush my still damp hair away from my face as I make my way up the stone steps of the fancy hotel. My attire does not help me blend in at all, drawing several stares from its residents.

A single bare foot had just settled down on the expensive marble floor when, with a wail, a stony body slams into me.

Mary Alice clutches me to her tightly and almost painfully, repeating my name over and over as if she doesn't quite believe me to be there.

"Mary," I murmur softly against her icy neck. "I'm okay, I'm fine."

She rips herself away from me suddenly, gripping my shoulders hard enough to leave bruises, and her black eyes bore into me.

"But how? I saw you die; your heart stopped! And then you disappeared."

I cup her anguished face, rolling the pad of my thumb over the dark circles under her eyes. She relaxes slightly at my touch.

"It's because of my secret that I wanted to tell you. Alice... I'm immortal."

She freezes, same expression unmoving from her face. A full minute passes. Then another. When a third is about to finish, worry pinches my face.

"A-Alice?"

"What?" She finally says, blinking dumbly and making me relax slightly in relief.

"I'm immortal. I die, and then I'm reborn in the closest body of water. I've been this way for nearly five hundred years."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She breathes.

I shrug sheepishly. "Technically I did over eighty years ago; you just forgot."

Her mouth opens and closes silently. "You- you- butt face!" She stammers making me laugh.

"Come on. I'll explain when everyone is here. Let's go back to Forks."

She nods, taking my hand gently and guiding me to the glass doors.

"Everyone is already on the way back. You can also explain to us what happened with James."

"Okay," I relent easily.

….

I glance around living room at the tense stares, differing looks of disbelief or awe, all with an undertone of relief.

Mary Alice has not removed herself from my side since she first latched onto me. She is curled around me, hugging me around the waist, and when she's not growling and anyone she deems has gotten to close, she's purring into my neck.

I stroke the smooth skin on her arm distractedly while I clear my throat in the uncomfortable silence.

"First, I should start with before I became the way I am. I was born in 1517, in England, and I was the only daughter of a rich noble man who invested in trade across the continents. When I was nineteen, I discovered the much darker dealings of my father. I found out that he was slave trading.

Back then, woman did not have very many says in anything, and Father had been looking for suitors for me for years; I was just lucky enough that he never found anyone "fitting for his little girl." I dressed up as a guy, and boarded one of the slave ships, claiming to be his son. I don't know what I was going to do, but I knew that slavery was wrong and I had to do something to stop it."

Alice pulls herself to my side even tighter, and I pause in my story to kiss the top of her head in comfort.

"I came up with a plan, a stupid plan that was very likely to fail, but I never got to follow through. I was going to give one of the prisoners a key so they could take over the ship; I had it in my hand… but one of the slaves were sick and they were going to throw him overboard for just having the common cold.

The captain told me to get out of the way, but I refused even as I stared down that gun. That was the first time I died, thrown into the ocean while I was taking my last breath. I don't know how it happened, but then I woke up out of the water with nothing but a scar."

I shift awkwardly around Alice's unrelenting hold, to pull down the collar of my sweatshirt. The raised, star-like scar makes several vampires wince.

"I traveled around for a few years in England as a man, studied as a doctor, an engineer, anything that I could learn, or do to help. I went to the New World as a doctor once it was established. I fought in the revolutionary war. Death always seemed to follow me, because whenever it was close, it tried to take me as it did the first time I was faced with it; but I would always wake up out of the closest body of water, as bare as when I was born."

I reach up, searching for my comfort, and grip the rings on my necklace hard.

"In 1790, I met Amanda. I loved her the moment she came into the hospital with a deep cut on her leg. She didn't cry once as I sewed her up. She seemed to know immediately that I wasn't a man, and she was the first person I ever told my secret to. We got married in New York in the spring of 1792, only able to because of my status as a male."

I trail of, staring out the windows to the trees beyond. The familiar sadness grips my heart, until it is suddenly dampened with soothing calm. I shoot Jasper a grateful look before continuing the story more slowly.

"We were happy and so in love. The only problem was that I didn't age…and she did. We had to move around a lot, whenever people started to think something was strange, or when something threatened the secret. Amanda and I lived this way for thirty years, but I didn't care that she looked old enough to be my own mother; I didn't care what people thought. She did, or started too. She was always self-conscious whenever someone commented that I was a nice young man to help my mother, or she had a beautiful daughter the few times I went as myself.

And then she was killed. It was so stupid- a mugging of all things! I was supposed to draw death, not sick it on other people. I went mad. I sought out death, tried to die, told other professors and scientists, tried to make them help me die. I was a female then, in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was institutionalized there in 1819, and that's where I met Mary Alice Brandon."

I touch Alice's hand, wrapped tightly around my arm, and smile softly at her.

"I knew Alice was special the moment I met her. She skipped right up to me, gave me a big hug, and said "Finally. I've been waiting for you for ages." She became my best friend in that place. I knew that she saw things in her sleep, things that hadn't yet come to pass, and she believed me when I told her I was immortal."

"Why didn't you just kill yourself and get out of there?" The question startles me. I was so involved of thinking of the past that I forgot I was telling a story.

"Because of her- Alice. That place was horrible; I couldn't leave her alone. She used to wake up screaming every night, and I had to crawl into her bed to make her stop. The electro shock therapy was the worst, but she hated the isolation room more. I had to always hold her afterward. Her dreams were getting worse through the years and she said that she was going to die; that someone was going to kill her. We were there for three years before Dr. Hunting, the man with the strange yellow eyes, came up with a plan to get her out. So Alice helped me die so I wouldn't be stuck there alone.

After that, I never saw her again until coming here. A few years later, I met a red-eyed vampire. He found out what I was when he killed me the first time, and decided to make a game of it, having me run and then hunting me to kill me all over again.

He experimented on me to find out what made me tick: cut me open, tried to change me." Horror shows on all the Cullen's faces. "Eventually, I set a trap that could actually kill him. A few years later, I was a nurse at a hospital when a woman died giving birth. Amanda and I had always talked about adopting, so when I took that little boy from out of the room of his dead mother, I couldn't help myself. I adopted Charlie and we have been together ever since."

"Charlie is your son?" Carlisle's eyes widen.

I smile at him in pride. "He is."

"So what happened with James?" Rosalie asks, bluntly bringing us back to the reason for this discussion. "You set another trap and set him on fire?"

"Pretty much," I nod.

"Alright, cool," she says and stands. "I'm going to go hunt. Are you coming Emmet?"

The largest vampire pouts like a child. "But I wanna ask Bella-Bear some questions. She's so much cooler than before!"

I scowl playfully at him.

Rosalie gives him a hard look and shoots a meaningful glance at Alice and I together on the couch.

His mouth opens wide in understanding. "Oh, I get it." And he goes willingly out the door, sending me an encouraging smile.

"Yes, well," I should call into work," Carlisle says, and the others start making excuses as well until it is just Alice and I in the house.

She turns to me, eyes huge and glassy and familiar, even if the color is different.

"You scared me so much."

"I know," I answer softy, gently brushing my fingers over her cool cheek. She leans into it, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. It was James you know. He was the one hunting you back in 1821."

Her eyes flick open to just stare into mine. "Oh," she says softly, and that's all she says. Then, "Before you… before you died back in Phoenix, you kissed me… does that mean-"

I lean the few inches forward necessary to capture her lips. It's much better than the first one; for one, I'm not in pain, and I don't taste my own blood on her lips.

When I pull away, she blinks dazedly at me.

"But…but- what about Amanda?"

I cradle her face gently with the tips of my fingers, tracing her jaw and chin and pink petal lips.

"I'll always love her," I answer honestly. "But she never could have been my forever. Her last gift was leading me to you. And I already told you that I think even back then I was starting to fall for you."


	14. New Story

**A/N: The first chapter of my new story, _When Gravity Moves_ , is up! Some of you wanted the summary again, so here it is, but don't be confused if the summary is different in the box under the title... Did I describe that right? Do you even know what I'm talking about? Whatever; here it is...**

 _ **When Gravity Moves**_

 _ **I barely notice my brother, perfectly fine, though terrified, a few yards away, because all I can think as she bares her teeth at the now headless kidnapper is,**_ **beautiful** _ **.**_

 _ **She turns her golden honey eyes to me, and they widen in shock and horror as she drops the head she was holding.**_

 _ **I can understand why she would fear me- she's on Quileute land and I am a giant beast coming out of the trees, a predator made to destroy beings like herself.**_


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